Man charged with stealing, accused of stealing from 11 different Menards stores

Sedalia police arrested Raul Morales-Moreira after officers were dispatched to a Menards for a reported theft.

According to the probable cause statement, officers met with a store employee who reported 14 thermostats and three air nailers had stolen, valued at a total of $2,526.

The employee told police that an alert had been sent out to all Menards stores in reference to two male subjects that had been stealing power tools, air nailers and thermostats.

The alert said the subjects conceal the items under furnace filters and clothing in a shopping cart and then proceed to throw the items over the fence in the garden center. The items are then placed in a vehicle, and the shopping cart with the filters and clothing is left behind.

The alert also stated that the two suspects had stolen from 11 different stores and the vehicle that was used was a tan Chevrolet Blazer.

Police said the security footage showed one suspect selecting the roofing nailers and pushing around a cart with other items.

Days later, Sedalia police noticed two people were arrested in Columbia in reference to the thefts at Menards.

Columbia police had arrested Javier Toledo and Moreira.

Columbia police said they had interviewed the suspects, who denied stealing anything, despite the camera evidence.

Columbia police also said the suspects had tried to flee the area in a tan Blazer.

Sedlia police confirmed through the security footage that Toldeo and Moreira were the same suspects at the Menards in Sedalia.

Moreira has been charged with stealing.